THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 5 



passed near and compared latitudes with us. The 22d was 

 a stormy day, accompanied with much rain, and nothing 

 whatever to be seen but stormy petrels flying over the waves 

 astern, now dipping into the water, and anon emerging, the 

 bright white patch above the tail showing very distinctly. On 

 the 23 d, Sunday, the water had assumed a magnificent deep in- 

 digo tint, and the waves on breaking often exhibited immedi- 

 ately below the crest exquisite violet shadows, reminding me 

 of a similar appearance produced in the Khine where it emerges 

 from the Lake of Geneva. The 24th was a glorious day of 

 brilliant sunshine, accompanied with great heat, and the colour 

 of the water now appeared as an almost unnaturally vivid 

 cobalt. A shoal of flying-fish was seen for the first time, as 

 well as one or two turtle basking on the surface of the water ; 

 and at the close of the day a fine sunset was succeeded by a 

 wonderful moonrise. 



Soon after breakfast on the following morning land was 

 reported on the port-bow. This, the rocky islet of Porto 

 Santo, about forty miles distant from Madeira, first became 

 visible in the form of two or three little detached peaks rising 

 out of the water, which, as we lessened our distance from them, 

 were seen to be mountain-tops connected by intermediate 

 low-lying country. Though barren-looking, this satellite of 

 Madeira formed a striking and not unattractive object, as its 

 precipitous cliffs were lit up by the sunshine of this bright 

 day. Despite its limited area, it possesses much interest for 

 the naturalist, both as regards its geological structure and the 

 characters of its flora. As in Madeira, volcanic rocks of 

 the upper miocene period prevail ; and the flora, though 



the same time are larger than porpoises, are classed by seamen under the 

 generic name of "blackfish," while unknown species of fish are generally 

 " rock cod "or " mullet. " 



